It’s an exciting day on the farm for Braves fans, who will get a chance to watch the top prospects in the system in the inaugural spring breakout game. This will be a chance for many players who have not had a chance to showcase their skills in front of Atlanta’s fans.
When: Saturday, March 16th at 1:05 PM EST
Where: JetBlue Park – Fort Myers, FL
How to watch
TV: MLB Network – 1 PM EST
NESN – 1 PM EST
Online: MLB.tv and MLB.com (link not yet available)/ ESPN+ (subscription-only, link)
MLB app / ESPN app
Players to watch:
The top player in spring breakout for the Braves is Spencer Schwellenbach, the 2021 second round pick that bounced back from Tommy John surgery with a 2023 season that landed him near the top of the system. Atlanta didn’t send many of their top arms to the game so he and 2022 first round pick Owen Murphy lead the charge for the Braves. The remainder of the pitching prospects are relief only players, led by Hayden Harris who led the system in strikeout rate last season. Flamethrowers Jared Johnson and Rolddy Munoz are also names to watch.
There is quite a bit of intrigue to be had with the position players, and the most interesting of those is Luis Guanipa. Guanipa does have a case for being the best position player in this group, but more notably this is the first time we will get to see the top prospect from the 2023 international signing class play in the United States. He leads a talented group of outfielders, including Georgia native and 2023 draft pick Isaiah Drake who may possess the best pure talent in the system. Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. is another interesting athletic talent, and he and Cody Milligan are two of the best defenders in the system.
Nacho Alvarez, the best pure hitter in the system, will be playing shortstop in this game. He has drawn quite a lot of praise throughout this spring training, and leads a solid group of infield prospects. Diego Benitez and Ambioris Tavarez were two more of Atlanta’s big signings in International Free Agency, and are among the biggest names on Atlanta’s roster. 2023 third round pick Sabin Ceballos rounds out the infield prospects, and there are a couple of good utility players here as well with Keshawn Ogans and Luke Waddell. Drake Baldwin is the top catching prospect in the system and will also feature in this game, and he has a chance this season to break out as he has been commended for his defensive improvements and raw power. Tyler Tolve backs him up, and despite struggling to stay healthy in his pro career he has flashed above average raw power.
Boston’s top prospect is shortstop Marcelo Mayer, the 2021 fourth overall pick who has risen to become the number 15 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB. Overall Boston has four top 100 prospects in their position player crop representing their top four prospects in the system. Outfielder Roman Anthony is MLB’s 24th-best prospect, and leads a talent trio of outfielders including MLB’s 78th-best prospect Ceddanne Rafaela and Boston’s number five prospect Miguel Bleis. Kyle Teel is the other top 100 prospect in the game, ranking 40th overall. Boston will be the home team for this game.
